Atrel greeted the longship that landed on the beach. The warriors on it looked ragged and tired, his younger brother Hattel stepped off. A long object wrapped in cloth was wrapped in canvas and strapped off his eyes were red, but his face was set in stone. Atrel clasped his brother’s arm pulling him into a hug.

  “What brings you here brother?” he asked.

  “Our father is dead,” Hattel said.

  “What?” Atrel asked.

  “The Warlord arrived two days after you left, he fought Father in a duel and killed him,” Hattel said.

  “Why would Father agree to fight him in a duel?” Atrel asked.

  “It was the Witch,” Hattel spat. “She forced him to agree to the fight. It didn’t seem like it should have been too hard with how much weaker he was, but his abilities were formidable, it kept seeming like he should die from his wounds, but he just pushed on.”

  “So, it’s all lost then?” Atrel asked sagging.

  “No!” Hattel said. “I took the artifact from the treasury.”

  Atrel’s head snapped up and he glanced around. “We must not discuss that here.”

  The two brothers disappeared into the forest, finding a secluded place to speak. Hattel held the canvas-wrapped object in his hands now. Removing part of the canvas he revealed the tip of a javelin.

  “It still has the one remaining charge,” Atrel said. “We were to save this unless the fate of the Dragon Clan rested in the balance.”

  “Our father’s dream does,” Hattel said. “The Warlord will return our clan to what it was, nomadic warriors with no stable form of leadership.”

  Atrel nodded his gaze hardening. “Then we cannot let his sacrifice go unavenged.”

  ---

  I walked up the steps of my new high school. It was a new city, no one knew me here, and it was a chance to start fresh. I’d gotten my orientation and tour the day before. Entering my first class I sat down and slumped at my desk. I scanned the room looking for those I’d have to watch out for. When my eyes got to the desk on my right I froze.

  She was one of the prettiest girls I’d seen. She had a dark blue hoodie on and skintight running pants with sneakers and mud still in the tread. Her eyes were a bright sky blue, and freckles were spattered across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. She was tapping her pencil against her bright white teeth as she stared at her notebook.

  As if she could feel me staring, she turned to look at me. I stuck out my hand.

  “Hi, I’m Mordred,” I said.

  “I’m Sarah,” she said shaking my hand and flashing me a bright smile.

  I spent the next three minutes before class started talking with her. We didn’t discuss much of importance, I learned she’d been born in this city and lived here my whole life and I told her I was new and from a different state. She didn’t ask why I’d come here, which I appreciated.

  After class we walked together to biology, it turned out we shared most of the same classes. At the end of last period. Sarah waved goodbye to me.

  “See you tomorrow!” she called out.

  “Where you headed!” I asked.

  “I’ve got practice,” Sarah said.

  “See you tomorrow then,” I said giving her a smile that came naturally to me for once.

  Days passed, then months as the semester passed. I managed to avoid getting into fights thanks to Sarah. I was an antagonizing presence wherever I went but she made friends easily and eased me into her friend groups. I couldn’t even say how it happened but one day her hand just slid into mine as we walked to class. My heart skipped at her touch, and I gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

  Her touch made me feel a hundred pounds lighter as if I were walking on air. I’d heard about love before, but never experienced it. There had been girls I’d kissed who I’d liked but I’d never felt something like this. I wanted to hold her hand so tight I’d never let go but at the same time, I couldn’t squeeze for fear of hurting her.

  It was a misty spring day when we had our first kiss. Her lips met mine as I held her on the bridge on the way to her’s and my house. It was like a fire was lit in me, not the burning rage I’d always felt before but a warm fire like the glow from an oven. The only feeling I could describe it as was the feeling of safety, something I hadn’t felt for longer than I could remember.

  --

  My eyes snapped open my nails once more digging into my palms and blood dripping from between my white-knuckled fingers. Slowly I brought my breathing under control. The dream had been sweet, a fond memory turned bitter by what I knew came after. Slowly, minute after minute I pulled my emotions back under control, locking them away again until the tension in my throat was gone.

  “Why are these memories resurfacing?” I asked.

  The stain put on your spirit by all the soul damage you’ve taken, Karnen said. Your spirit is trying to get you to face your past conflict so that it can close up again.

  “Well, it can go screw,” I said. “I just need to raise my other attributes to Hero rank, right?”

  That will help, Karnen agreed.

  “Great,” I said. “System raise Tremor Soles to rank twenty.”

  Before I reached the ability to choose an extra effect for the ability, I received another prompt from the system.

  I could sense a change in my eyes, but my Wrathful Meditation kept me from feeling the pain as it took place.

  I blinked and looked around and found I could focus on two points of space at once instead of just looking in one direction. Before I could experiment with this more, I received another notification from the System.

  I didn’t need added jump distance since my physical stats could let me do pretty much anything reasonable and I could teleport if I needed to go farther. Stable footing was always important for fighting a misplaced step or stumble could spell the end for you. Moving fast wasn’t something I had a problem with thanks to my ability Heightened Speed.

  Making my choice I chose the second option. I didn’t have anything spectacular here but of my options, this was the best.

  The mana cost had gone up by one point per second but with my massive mana regeneration due to an overly high Spirit, it wasn’t a problem. I skipped the next four notifications until I got to the one I needed.

  Looking over the options I settled on the first one. The reduction to fall damage wasn’t much so its usefulness was questionable. The damage charge sounded interesting but this was a Perception ability so I should focus on its intended purpose.

  The mana cost had gone up again and I could detect a much wider area now but other than that little had changed in its description. I skipped the next four notifications again to get to the important bits.

  The first option seemed like it would make me into Daredevil able to see my surroundings based on nonvisual stimuli. However, I could see even in the dark, and with a high perception this choice didn’t seem optimal for my needs. The next one was interesting, but it seemed to be out of the way of what this ability was focused on. The last one was more in line with what a perception ability was supposed to do.

  Skipping past the next four notifications again.

  looking it over I picked the second option. The first sounded interesting but again outside of the norm. The third would give me more information but nothing actionable. The second would blend in well with my Foresight ability and hopefully cover for it against people and creatures that had a counter to Foresight.

  The skill was fully upgraded now. I felt a slight relief in the burning of my spirit, it wouldn’t go away fully until I upgraded at least all my mental attributes to heroic rank. I had Power, Spirit, and Perception done which just left me gaining another ability for Mind. Of course, I could just spend points to raise the stat directly, but I refused to give into that path.

  With Tremor Soles taken care of, I had only one more ability to rank up. Setules Palms was linked to Might which was already Hero rank, but I needed all the power I could get.

  “Raise Setules Palms to rank twenty,” I said to the System.

  Skipping past the three initial notifications I got the important one.

  The abilities here were fairly straightforward. The first one would just increase the strength of the base effect, the second would add some offensive potential and the third would make me more like Spiderman. I chose the first. I didn’t need a second way to attack with my hands and the damage didn’t look like it would be much. The third option was out since it would interfere with wearing my boots.

  The stamina cost had gone up but that was to be expected and would only affect me when I was using the ability anyway. I skipped past the next four notifications to get to the ability upgrade list.

  The first option was out for the same reason as last time. The second one was more Spiderman stuff which made sense considering the creature I had gained this ability from. I didn’t need it though with both Foresight and Tremor Soles. That left the third so I chose it, a wider more useful ability was better than a few nifty effects anyway.

  Again, I skipped past the next four notifications.

  The combat ability was tossed out immediately. The second option was interesting again increasing the base effect of this ability. The third I wasn’t even sure what I would use it for so I dismissed it.

  Skipping past the next four notifications I got the final choice for this ability.

  Despite the System apparently really wanting me to add some offensive capabilities to this ability, I dismissed the first option. The second option deserved more consideration, but I dismissed it after a few seconds of thought. Troll Hide made my skin already durable and if something could get through that then it could probably get through a slight durability boost from this effect. That left the third choice, but I liked it. If I didn’t have to worry about more of my own body weight the ability could be used for letting me carry other stuff if I had to.

  With all my upgrades done, I pulled up my current status.

  As I looked over my stats there was a knock at the door.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Tobias opened the door. “Their armies are starting to march on us again.”

  Standing up I cracked my neck from side to side hearing the satisfying pop as I stretched out my neck muscles.

  “Then let’s say hello to our visitors,” I said a feral grin coming to my face.

  Tobias looked at me doubtfully as blood began to trickle down my nose.

  “Are you sure your well enough to fight?” he asked.

  “I’m more than read,” I said my voice deepening into a snarl as the anger from Black Rage washed over me as a black mist began to rise from my skin.

  ---

  Rain fell on the armies of Lunara, Camelot, and the Dragon Clan. A storm was brewing as they stood arrayed against the fortress again. The defenders were far fewer in number now. Despite their losses morale was high among most of the army, and there was a feeling of relief as the end of this siege was in sight. Guinevere kept her doubts to herself as they approached the walls and gate of the fortress.

  Jamis rode atop a massive bear a dozen more with riders alongside him. He roared and the army took up the cry their battle roar echoing up to the walls of the fortress. There was no answering cry, the warriors stood still and silent. Their actions were more unnerving than if they had screamed like demons. Guinevere could make out the massive figures of the Dragonbreakers on the wall looking out over the army. They issued no commands and made no gestures.

  Slowly the archers of Camelot and Lunara advanced. Mira led them since she was a champion of archers, they drew their bows or any other ranged weapons they had and loosed them in a wave. The soldiers on the battlements didn’t duck the arrows fell upon them and then stopped. Suspended midair, every arrow slowly rotated and turned then flew right back at them.

  “Shields up!” Guinevere commanded.

  A shield wall rose, and the arrows pinged off the metal or stuck fast into the wood. Some arrows found gaps and people screamed, there were few deaths, but the wounded were dragged back for the healers to tend to. They advanced again coming closer and closer to the walls. The Dragon Clan broke into a run, they each had some sort of ability to fly or glide upon the wind and jumped into the air soaring up and over the walls.

  Thunder crackled as blue lightning shot from one of the massive men among the Dragonbreakers. A black aura surrounded him making it impossible to distinguish his features or equipment apart from a long spear he held its end pointing straight up. The sky continued to darken overhead the clouds beginning to swirl around the fortress and army.

  --

  I blasted the incoming warriors with chain lighting while half my focus was used to grab incoming missiles with Telekinesis and flew them back at the enemy. The battlefield was growing darker, and the wind began pushing harder the air turning frigid. Suddenly the air was brightly illuminated, and thunder cracked across the sky.

  I looked up. “That can’t be good.”

  A bolt of lightning hit me and sent me to my knees.